Cool Comforters for Hot Sleepers – 2019 Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Last Updated on February 21, 2019

Our Review Process

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Quick Summary

Finding ideal bedding can be tricky if you’re a hot sleeper. On one hand, having a nice blanket or comforter can be cozy and inviting. On the other hand, if you already tend to sleep hot, having a comforter can cause you to sweat and overheat in the night. Thankfully, there are comforters that allow you to get some additional warmth and coziness without feeling like you’re spending the night in a sauna.

In this guide, we’ll share our top picks for the best cool comforters in several categories. Our comforter buying guide will also key you into the most important terminology and background information that you need to make an informed decision about the best purchase for you as a hot sleeper.

Cool Comforter Reviews

Our Editor’s Pick is the Buffy Comforter, which uses innovative materials and construction to deliver exceptional temperature neutrality and cool, comfortable sleep. The comforter’s shell is made from fabric derived from eucalyptus fibers, resulting in a naturally breathable and soft material that regulates the sleeper’s temperature well. The Buffy Comforter is eco-friendly, as well; the fill is derived from recycled plastics. The rough equivalent of 50 plastic bottles are used in one Buffy Comforter.

The comforter offers a lofty feel that also feels light, and good air circulation throughout the interior helps maintain consistently comfortable temperatures. The silky-soft texture can also be beneficial for those with sensitive skin, while the hypoallergenic materials are resistant to dust mites and other allergens. The Buffy Comforter is available in three sizes – Twin/Twin XL, Full/Queen, and King/California King – and the company backs the comforter with a free sleep trial. Free shipping and returns are also available.

Down alternative is the trade name for polyester microfibers that mimic the lightness and softness of authentic waterfowl down. Down alternative is also a popular comforter material because it has a lower average price-point compared to real down, and it also sleeps fairly cool. Our Runner-Up Pick, the Down Alternative Duvet Insert from Tuft & Needle, accommodates a wide range of sleepers with light and medium weight options. The lightweight design is sewn through, resulting in a relatively thin layer that is optimal for those who sleep hot. The mid-weight design is thicker and features baffle-stitching to prevent the microfibers from clumping or shifting.

The duvet is encased in a Cambric cotton shell that is smooth to the touch. The cover is also highly breathable and helps regulate the comforter’s overall temperature. Stability is another strong point with the Down Alternative Duvet Insert. Corner loops prevent the comforter from slipping off in the night, which can lead to sleep disruptions. Tuft & Needle backs the duvet insert with a 100-night sleep trial and a three-year warranty.

A common misconception among sleepers is that wool comforters feel excessively warm. In fact, the material is suitable for year-round sleeping; it offers warmth and insulation in colder months, but it is also breathable and reduces moisture in sleepers during hotter times of the year. In many cases, wool comforters are a great eco-friendly option. The PlushBeds Wool Comforter is a prime example. Crafted with an organic-cotton shell and natural wool fill, this layer offers exceptional, eco-conscious comfort and temperature regulation.

The PlushBeds Wool Comforter is available in six sizes that correspond to standard mattress dimensions. The wool fill won’t clump or shift excessively, allowing the comforter to maintain a full shape with little to no fluffing. The edges are hand-tufted and stitched to prevent fill from escaping, as well. The PlushBeds Wool Comforter has a relatively high price-point, making it a good option for shoppers with bigger budgets. Customers in the contiguous U.S. qualify for free standard shipping.

Cool comforters can be a sound investment for sleepers with nighttime temperature issues – but many of these products cost at least $120. The Climabalance Down Alternative Comforter is a notable exception. The comforter is available in five sizes – Twin, Full, Queen, King, and California King – all of which are widely available for less than $110. However, the Climabalance Down Alternative Comforter offers the same soft, lofty feel and temperature-regulating comfort as many competing products with higher price-points.

The comforter is constructed with a patchwork of mesh squares – also known as ‘climate zones – that promote strong airflow and allow the comforter to sleep exceptionally cool. As a result, the comforter is suitable for any time of year; it provides sufficient cooling and moisture-wicking during hotter times of the year, and also acts as a protective insulating layer when the temperatures dip. The comforter can be washed and dried in a machine, making it relatively low-maintenance as well. The Climabalance Down Alternative Comforter is backed by a 30-night sleep trial.

Our Best Luxury Comforter pick is the Humidity Fighting Duvet from Casper. This comforter is constructed with three key components: a smooth cotton shell, ethically-sourced down fill, and an internal merino wool layer that helps regulate temperature and wick away moisture during the night. The result is a loft, lightweight comforter that helps regulate the sleeper’s temperature throughout the year.

The duvet has a chambered design that helps contain the down fill and prevents uncomfortable clumping and shifting. It can also be washed and dried in machines, making it easier to care for than many competing comforters with down and wool layers. The Humidity Fighting Duvet is available in Twin/Twin XL, Full/Queen, and King/California King sizes. The comforter is OEKO-TEX 100 certified, indicating no harmful chemicals are used in manufacturing and making it suitable for both children and adults. Casper backs this product with a 100-night sleep trial and a one-year warranty.

Cool Comforter Buying Guide

What’s cooler than being cool? Knowing how to find the best comforter to keep you from sleeping hot. This guide walks you through what you need to know to make a great purchase.

How to Choose the Best Cool Comforter

Shell material

While a lot of focus is placed on the inner material in a comforter, the exterior — also known as the shell — cannot be ignored, especially for hot sleepers. The most common materials for comforter shells include:

Cotton: you’re probably familiar with cotton since it’s used in so many products including in clothing and bedding. Cotton shines when it comes to softness and when it’s produced to a high standard, it also is quite durable. Cotton can retain moisture, which isn’t ideal for hot sleepers, but some types of cotton, like sateen, have a smoother texture that feels more breathable.

Silk: silk is a fantastic material for hot sleepers because it does not retain heat and in fact can help a great deal with wicking away moisture. It’s also naturally soft and smooth, but unfortunately, it’s costly and tricky to keep clean, so it’s not employed as frequently in comforter shells.

Wool: wool is able to simultaneously be soft, warm, and moisture-wicking, and this is a combination that works well for hot sleepers. That said, because of its cost wool is less often found as a shell material, especially for comforters in the low-to-mid range price-wise.

Cotton-synthetic blends: sometimes cotton is blended with a synthetic textile (like polyester or rayon) to provide more moisture-wicking characteristics to the shell. These synthetics may also make it stretchier and/or more breathable.

Fill material

The fill material in a comforter will have the biggest impact on how much heat a comforter will retain, and as a result, it is a key point of emphasis for hot sleepers. The most important fill materials to be aware of include:

Goose down: taken from the underside of the plumage of geese, goose down is a powerful insulator. It is very lightweight and soft yet retains a huge amount of heat. These types of comforters tend to feel stifling to hot sleepers and given their price tag, usually are not a good choice for people with temperature regulation issues.

Duck down: like goose down, duck down comes from the underside of the plumage, but in this case of ducks. While it generally doesn’t have quite as much loft and warmth as goose down, it’s still far better suited for people who sleep cool rather than people who sleep hot.

Down cluster: the down cluster is the part of the down with the greatest insulating power. Down comforters with a high percentage of down clusters are the warmest, and as a result, should usually be avoided by hot sleepers.

Down alternative: down alternative fills take a number of different forms but are generally synthetic materials that are produced to be soft and light like down. Some are also made to have more loft and heat-retention power. Given their lower cost, down alternative comforters can be an attractive option for hot sleepers especially if there is not an abundant amount of fill.

Other feathers: only the material under the plumage is down, but there are obviously other feathers on ducks and geese. These feathers can be used to make comforters that are soft and light but not as lofty and warm as down. For hot sleepers who like the feel of a feather fill, this type is likely to be preferable to true down.

Cotton: cotton is affordable and soft and does not insulate at anywhere near the power of down. All of these make it a solid choice for hot sleepers even though in some cases cotton’s poor moisture-wicking issues can be an issue.

Wool: thanks to its natural temperature management properties — an ability to give warmth when needed and wick-moisture and breathe when needed — wool can be a solid bet for hot sleepers. The biggest downsides are its cost and weight.

Silk: a silk fill can work extremely well for hot sleepers because silk resists heat retention and is naturally airy and light, preventing it from feeling suffocating. However, silk can be expensive and may be out of the budget of many shoppers when it is used as the primary fill material.

Thread count

The thread count, used in describing the shell of a comforter, tells you how dense the yarns are within one square inch of fabric. If you’re not well-versed in sewing and textiles, it will suffice to know that higher thread counts normally indicate a shell that will feel smoother and that will hold up better over time. But it’s also important to know that thread counts can be manipulated to seem higher (through what’s known as “double counting” two-ply yarns in the material). For this reason, we advise looking for a thread count of 300-600 since counts higher than this probably are calculated using double counting.

Stitch design

There are various methods that are used to stitch together the various materials within a comforter.

Sewn-through: this technique uses stitching to connect the top and bottom of a comforter so that very small compartments are created that keep the fill from moving around within the comforter. It creates tighter compartments so that the comforter stays more compact, which prevents the fill from having more loft and insulation.

Diamond-quilted: this is usually a method of sewn-through stitching in which the stitches are in the shape of a diamond.

Gusseted: a comforter is gusseted if the top and bottom are sewn together around the exterior of the comforter. This does not have a huge effect on heat but can make the comforter feel more compact.

Baffle box: when the top and bottom are not sewn together directly but instead are connected with a smaller piece of fabric, it’s called baffle-box design. This gives the material a bit more room to move around within the compartments created by the stitches. This can necessitate fluffing a comforter more to redistribute the fabric. Having more space usually means more loft and heat, so this isn’t a primary feature for hot sleepers to look for.

Other Ways to Sleep Cool

Sleeping cool isn’t just about your comforter. There are a handful of other ways that you can optimize your sleep environment to prevent from overheating at night.

Choose the right mattress: Different mattress materials have huge variations in how much heat they tend to retain. For example, traditional memory foam is much more likely to contribute to sleeping hot than latex. Similarly, a very plush mattress that you sink into will be more prone to sleeping hot. For more on finding a great mattress if you’re a hot sleeper, check out all of our guides to buying a new mattress.

Cooling mattress toppers: If your mattress seems to sleep hot and you can’t afford to replace it, a cooling mattress topper, which goes above the mattress but under the sheets, may be able to help keep you from overheating.

Proper bedding: Your sheets and pillows can also affect hot much you’re likely to heat up in the night. Avoid heavy sheets (like flannel) or pillows made from one piece of memory foam that have a propensity to retain heat.

ChillPad: This is a mattress pad that has the ability to heat up or cool down your bed by circulating cooled or heated water through the pad.

BedJet: This device uses a hose to pump hot or cool air that can adjust the temperature of your bed and help to keep from sleeping too hot (or too cold).

Pajamas: Make sure not to wear heavy pajamas or other clothing that will hold in heat or restrict airflow around your body. Light and loose clothes — or limited clothes — are a far better bet.

Keep the thermostat low: Of course, the ambient temperature of your bedroom is going to have a direct effect on your body temperature when you sleep. Keep the temperature down (which research indicates may be good for you anyway) and consider using a fan to keep air moving.

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